Next Indo-Pak conflict could be in Afghanistan: Robert Blackwill

WASHINGTON: Asserting that there has been no change in the attitude and policy of Pakistani military towards India, a former American diplomat has said the next frontier of conflict between the two nations could be Afghanistan.

"Afghanistan is going to be in mess after we leave. India's equity are now deeply engaged in Afghanistan and danger is that the next frontier of India-Pak conflict is going to be in Afghanistan," said Robert Blackwill, the former US Ambassador to India said.

Speaking at the "Ambassadors Roundtable" involving five American envoys to India in the last two decades, Blackwill said "there is no evidence that Pakistan military has changed its view" that its primary role is to prevent the rise of India nation.

There is also no evidence of change in the Pakistani military policy of use of terrorist outfits against India, he added.

The situation is not going to change until the Pakistani military changed the view that they have to be the prominent power in Afghanistan and India is the enemy in this war torn country, Blackwill said.

Blackwill and four other former US Ambassadors to India - Thomas Pickering (1992-93), Frank Wisner (1994-1997), Richard Celeste (1997-2001) and Timothy Roemer (2009-2011) - were speaking at a round table at the 38th Annual Leadership Summit of the US India Business Council.

All the ambassadors observed that in the coming years Afghanistan and Pakistan would play a key role in Indo-US relationship.

Wisner said that the formation of the Nawaz Sharif Government in Pakistan provides an opportunity for India to improve its ties with Islamabad.

"This is an opportunity for India to start a dialogue with Nawaz Sharif. It is very important that the US encourages this (dialogue). I know it is not going to work easily at all," he said.

Noting that Pakistan and India have come to an agreement on a number of issues, Roemer said this is a big development. He hoped that this would lead to resolving issues like Sir Creek or Siachen.